Means and apparatus for raising sunken vessels.



S. LAKE.

PATBNTED OCT. 15, 1907.

A MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSBLS.

APPLICATION TILED DBO. 1B, 1908.

8 SHEETS-$11331 1.

1n: IiwR'RIs I'ETERS cm, IAsnINGmN. u. c

No. 867,983. A PATENTED 001.. 15, 1907.

s. LAKE.

- MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS; APPLICATION rmm 1130.12.1906.

' a SHEETS-SHEET z.

Jinww Iake- THE NORRIS Psncns co., wAsnmnrun, u. c.

PAIBNTED OCT. 15, 1907.

S. LAKE. MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS APPLICATION IILBD DBO. 12, 1906.

a sums-sun a.

L NL

CZ I: I

"It "aims PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

SIMON LAKE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed December 12,1906. Serial No. 347,566.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means and Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

It has heretofore been attempted to raise sunken ships by closing all openings and pumping out the water within the ship, but if the ship is sunk in any considerable depth of water this method fails because the structure of the ordinary ship is not sufficiently strong to resist the exterior water pressure and the decks are crushed in, in consequence. Great difiiculties are also experienced in closing deck openings, hatches, ventilators, deadlights, etc. sufficiently tight that pumps can remove sufficient water to float the vessel, and in cases where a ship has been run on rocks or has collided with submerged or partly submerged objects, it is practically impossible to get access to the openings to close them to permit of the vessels flotation.

Another known method is the use of pontoons which are submerged or partly submerged and attached to a sunken ship by chains and the vessel raised by pumping the water from the pontoons. This method may prove successful in quiet waters, but attempts to apply such methods in open sea have generally failed, owing to the constantly varying and unequal strains coming on the chains from wave-motion and to the inherent difficulties of getting the chains under a ship and the attachment made to the pontoons on account of such wave-motion.

Still another method is the employment of casks or air bags which are placed in the'hold of a ship by divers and afterwards pumped full of air and expanded thus displacing the water within the ship. This method, however, is costly, since it requires many months of labor by divers, even under the most favorable conditions, to place a sufficient number of casks or bags in the hold and separately inflate them. Particularly is this true of metal ships of large displacement, and so far as I am aware, this method has been only successful when applied to wooden ships, where the requisite lifting force has been small.

Various other methods involving the use of buoyant material, both liquid and solid, have been attempted, but these have also proven more or less impract cable, owing to the construction of the ships, and also to the .nature of the injury which caused them to sink.

The object of my invention is to overcome the difficulties heretofore mentioned by using a material capable of beingrapidly pumped in large quantities into a sunken vessel and which will not escape through leaks or rents in the vessel, and which will also act as a brace to strengthen the decks and thereby entirely obviate the danger of the decks collapsing, or being lifted, depending upon whether it is proposed to admit compressed air to drive the water out of the ship, or to pump out the water in the final operation of raising.

The invention consists broadly in displacing the water in the interior of a sunken vessel by pumping buoyant material, either solid or capable of being solidified, into the vessel until the dead weight of the vessel, its fittings and cargo are overcome by such material. The buoyant material, preferably is cork, in the form of blocks of a size that can be readily handled in a centrifugal or other force-pump, the cork being first coated or boiled in paraffin or other suitable substance to make it more impervious to water, and in cases where the decks of the vessel are Weak and liable to lift I prefer to use a suitable buoyant compound, such as a mixture of paraflin and cork, which can be readily pumped and which solidifies in water, and which after being -forced into the vessel will, through its buoyancy,

readily seek the under surface of the decks and the sides of the vessel, and becoming hard will form a light solid body that will not only strengthen the deck but which is also buoyant.

My invention also consists in the improved means employed for delivering the buoyant material from a suitable surface vessel or the like to the submerged vessel which will be clearly understood from the following description and drawing, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in vertical section and otherwise, a practical application of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the lower ends of the pipes that are extended into the sunken vessel and also illustrates the attachment of the pipes to a supplemental hatch employed for the double purpose of closing the hatch opening and supporting the pipes. Fig. 3 is an elevatiqn of a portion of a vessel illustrating the position of filling and emptying pipes. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a surface vessel, equipped with the machinery employed for heating the paraffin and mixing it with the buoyant material. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a submerged vessel illustrating the manner of strengthening the upper deck to permit of the displacement of the water within the vessel without danger of collapsing the deck. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the manner of floating a ship where the bottom or side has been torn and where it is impossible to entirely close or repair the opening.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Fig. 1. A represents the cross-section of a sunken ship of usual cargo-carrying type, having three decks and hatch openings leading into each and which ar; usually arranged in vertical alinement. The hatch opening of the upper deck is closed by a supplemental or temporary hatch B, to which is secured a pipe or tube C, the pipe being connected to the hatch by flanged collar 0, as shown, but any suitable connection may be employed.

In practice the hatch is lirst constructed upon a surface vessel, the pipe connected thereto and both lowcred into position upon the submerged vessel, so that the pipe or tube C will extend down into the lower hold. To the inner end of the pipe is connected a series of circular plates C, braced by stay rods O which act as working platforms for the d ivers and extending to each platt'orm is a ladder U, suspended 1' rom the hatch and extending to the extreme lower end of the tube. The platforms also provide a contacting surface against which the buoyant material will engage and act as ties in certain conditions as will be explained later. A supplemental hatch G is built in the main hatch to permit ingress to and egress irom the holds ol the ship.

In practice the hatch and pipe with the connections described are first constructed above the surface oi the water, and when lowered can be easily handled and adjusted in'position as the pipe platform and ladder being of iron will overcome the buoyancy oi the hatch which-is preferably oi timber.

To the upper end 01 pipe or tube is connected in any suitable manner a flexible tube D, whose upper end is connected to a flexible tube or pipe E, which extends entirely through the tube D, and pipe C and forms as it were adouble pipe. -lhe upper end of the pipe E is connected to a centril'ugal pump F, located upon a suitable surlace vessel G A crane or derrick G carried by the vessel G supports the tubes D and E, and is also employed for lowering the hatch and "pipe. in position. To the pump F, is connected a suction pipe H, having a cutoff valve h, which leads to the open sea and interposed in the pipe, between the valve and pump is a hopper 1, whose lower end is conical and provided with alining pipe sections which are connected to the pipe H, and practically lorms a continuation thereol. The hopper I is designed for the reception of the buoyant material which is pumped into the vessel and connected to the hopper is the valved pipe J, extending from a tank I shown most clearly in Fig. 4, and which. is intended to hold paral'lin or other liquid buoyant, the parallin being kept h ated and in a liquid state by a steam coil K and connected by a pipe k, with the ships boiler illustrated at L. A condenser M is shown connected to the coil K,

which may or may not be the regular ships condenser.

An air pump N (Fig. l) is connected to the upper end of the tube D, by a pipe 11, and communicates with the space between the inner tube E, and flexible tube D, and by which air is forced into the submerged vessel. This arrangement also enables me to keep air between the tube and pipes and prevents the too rapid cooling of the liquid buoyant material during its passage through the pipe E to the submerged vessel.

I designates a storage tank or hopper adapted for holding the buoyant material, but this tank or hopper is not essential as the material may be readily carried in the regular hold of the vessel.

ship being raised by the displacement of water lrom its interior, by pumping into the interior sullicicnt buoyant material such as cork in the form ol' blocks ol' :1 size that can be readily handled in the centrifugal pump, and the operation is aslollows: 'llhevalvc "it isopcncd and allows the water to rise in the hopper to a level equal to the water level outside. The pump F is then started, pumping water down into the vessel hich llows out of the sunken vessel through the pipe Fig. 3, connected to a hatch, covering the other hatch openiugol' the vessel (Fig. 3",) or any other suitable opening, which may be provided [or drawing l'roin the bottomol the vessel. 'lhcbuoyant mat clial is now dumped into the hopper 1, until by the weight of the omintity put into it, the lower blocks of the buoyant ma terial are lorccd down to the suction pipe ll where it joins the inllowing water from the sea and is thus taken into the pump and lorccd down into the ship. As soon as it enters the ship it rises to the under sides ot' the decks on account 01' its buoyancy. (.urrcnts are set up within the ship by the displacement of the water therein by the buoyant material and force the water to travel towards the opening, which has been especially provided for its escape. 'lheso currents tend to carry therewith the buoyant. material so that cvcntusubstance or with a sullicient quantity to displace sullicient water to limit the vessel. The vessel then lloats lo the surlace and may be towed into shallow water or the suction pump F may be then connected to the pipe O andthe balance of the water pumped out of the ship, when the buoyant material is removed and is again available for the next job.

.ln cases where the decks of the vessel are weak and liable -to lilt. ii there is considerable amount of buoy ant material placed under them. l use a mixture ol' parallin and cork or any other suitable liquid buoyant compmiud, which can readily be pumped and whi h is solidilied in water. This compound is represented in the denser layer immediately under thc upper deck ol Figs. 1, 5 and (i. To prepare this compound lllc parallin is lirst heated in the tank .l from which it. is run into the hopper 1. To prevent its cooling while being pumped into the ship. air is loli't d into the annular space between the inner pipe and ouur tubes and insulates the inner pipe lrom the surrounding water. The paralliu is then pumpr d into the sunken ship, where by means of its low |)((lll(' 4'l'1l\ ity, it immediately rises to the upper sides ol' the deck. Sullicient cork may be mixed with lh purallin to prevent its escape through any small cracks or openings which may be in th dick. certain amount of air may also be pumped in at the same time, which air would riadily lind an oullit through the small outlet tubes and thus create a current and carry the parallin with the particles ol cork to su h openings, and the particles of cork would very readily choke the same. when the air would tln n be llllliZctl as a buoyant. The nature of parallin is such that it does not readily cool on being poured into waur: even a small quantity of several pounds. I have lound from expmiment, may be ejected into water and will l remain in a. liquid state for a period of several minutes.

The method so tar as described is employed only It cools, 01 course, from the outside nrst, 'lornilng a when the decks are sufliciently strong to permit of the sort of skin, and then remains liquid in the center lor ally the entire hull may be lihcd with this buo ant ill) ltltl ll(l lit)

some time, so that on pumping it into the ship it spreads out and rises to the top, forming an outer skin which gradually expands, so that if it is pumped in in any large quantities it would readily form a cement when hardened covering the lower side of the entire upper deck. If this upper deck is weak, this mixture may be allowed to harden in layers, so that the whole upper hold may be filled with this cement, if desired, or it may even be carried down into the lower holds depending upon the strength of the structure. On this substance hardening it becomes very rigid, the solid acting as a beam extending from one side of the ship to the other, and will therefore exert its buoyancy in a manner which does not lift the decks. On sealing the upper decks in this manner, so that there is no escape of air, air may then be pumped into the vessel, so as to force the water out through the pipe 0, as shown in Fig. 3, or in the case of a ship with the bottom punctured as is show-n in Fig. 6 the air would force the water out through the opening at the bottom. If it is found impossible to get the upper works of the vessel air tight, as would be the case where the same are made of wood and where the calking is driven into the planking of the ship on the outside and would be forced out by the air'pressure, I continue to pump blocks of cork into the ship as previously described. This mixture will also contact with and completely embed the platforms and thus distribute the strain equally upon the decks and further strengthen the ship.

The manner of securing the hatches is best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings in which P designates heavy beams which are first weighted and lowered into the hold of the ships and placed in position by divers, extending them under the hatch coamings of the lower decks, the weights are then re moved and the buoyancy of the water holds them in position. Tie-bolts Q are then lowered, connected to the beams and locked by means of nuts or keys, after which a second set of beams is lowered and positioned upon the top of the hatch and connected to the tie-boltsv This arrangement not only securely bolts the hatches in position, but also transmits the strain to the lower decks through the medium of the tie rods, which is highly necessary where the ships upper decks are of light construction and liable to lift by the pressure of the llotative force of the buoyant material put into the ship.

From the foregoing the advantage of my invention over the methods formerly employed will be readily apparent and further description is thought unnecessary.

What I claim is.

1. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination with a surface vessel and a sunken vessel, a pipe extending from the surface vessel to the sunken vessel, a hopper adapted to contain water and a buoyant material and a pump for forcing the contents of the hopper through the pipe into the sunken vessel.

2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination with a surface vessel and a sunken vessel, a pipe leading from the surface vessel to the sunken vessel, a hopper adapted to contain a solid buoyant material, a tank containing a liquid buoyant material communicating with the hopper, and means for forcing the contents of the hopper through the pipe into the sunken vessel.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising in a hopper containing a solid buoyant material, a tank contaming a liquid buoyant material connected to the hopper, means for admitting water to the hopper, and a pump for forcing the contents of the hopper through the said pipe into the sunken vessel. I

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a surface vessel, of a pump, a pipe connected thereto and adapted to extend to the sunken vessel, a suction pipe connected to the pump at one end and having its opposite end connected to a water supply, and a hopper adapted to contain a buoyant material connected to the pump.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a pump, of a pipe connected thereto and adapted to extend to a sunken vessel, a suction pipe connected to the pump at one end and at its opposite end to a water supply, a hopper connected to the suction pipe, said hopper being adapted for holding a buoyant material, and a valve arranged in the pipe between the inlet end and the hopper.

(i, in an apparatus of the kind described, the combina tion with a pump, of a discharge pipe connected thereto, a suction pipe connected to the pump, a hopper communicating with the suction pipe, said hopper being adapted to contain a solid buoyant material, and a tank adapted to contain a liquid buoyant material connected to the hopper.

7. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a pump, a discharge pipe c:.nnected theretofa suction pipe connected to the pump at one end and having its other end connected to a Water supply, and a hopper communieating with the suction pipe, said hopper being adapted for holding a buoyant. material and which is discharged from the pump together with the water drawn through the suction pipe.

8. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a pipe adapted to extend to a sunken vessel, a hopper e0ntaining a solid buoyant material, a tank containing a liquid buoyant material communicating with the hopper, and a pump for forcing the contents of the hopper through the pipe into the sunken vessel. I

9. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a force pump, a discharge pipe connected thereto and adapt ed to extend into a sunken vessel, a pipe surrounding the lower end of the discharge pipe, a tube connected at its lower end to the last mentioned pipe and at its upper end to the discharge pipe, an air pump having a discharge pipe connected to the upper end of the flexible tube, a suction pipe connected to the force pump at one end and to a water supply at its opposite end, a hopper adapted to con tain a solid buoyant material and connected to the suction pipe, and a tank containinga liquid buoyant material and communicating with the hopper.

10. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination with a surface vessel and a sunken vessel, a pipe extending from the surface vessel to the sunken ves sel, a hatch connected to the lower end of the pipe and arranged over the hatch opening and a pump carried by the surface vessel for forcing water and a buoyant material through the pipe into the sunken vessel.

11. Air-apparatus of the kind described, comprisingin combination with a surface vessel and a sunken vessel a pipe extending from the surface vessel to the sunken vessel, a hatch carried by the lower end of the pipe for closing the hatch opening, said hatch having an opening and a cover for the opening, platforms connected with the pipe below the said hatch, and means for forcing a buoyant material through the pipe into the sunken vessel.

12. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination with a surface vessel and a sunken vessel, :1

double pipe extending from the surface vessel into the 13. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination with a surface vessel and a sunken vessel. :1 double pipe extending from the surface vessel into the sunken vessel, a force pump connected to the inner section of the double pipe, an air pump connected to the outer surface of the pipe, a suction pipe connected to the force pump. a hopper adapted to contain a solid buoyant material and connected to the suction pipe, and a tank containing a liquid buoyant material and conununicating with the hopper, and means for heating the material in the tank .tor the purpose specitied.

14. An improved means for raising sunken vessels, consisting of a container supplied with a lluent ])ll() \':l ll1 niaterial capable oi: displacing the water in the sunken ves sol, a conductor for conv ing such material into the sunken vessel, and a force-pump for discharging the inateiial from the container in av tluent stream through the conductor and into the sunken vessel.

15. An improved means [or raising sunken vessels, (01b sisting of a container supplied with blocks of cork, a con ductor for conveying the cork to the sunken vt. sel, and a forcopump for discharging the cork from the container in a lluent stream through the conductor and into the sunken vessel.

16. An improved means for raising sunken ve s, cons in; of a container supplied with liquelied buo ant substance capable of solidifying in water and adapted to ad here to the vessel and close the openings therein. and a lluidpressure means to force the said substance into such sunken vessel.

17. An improved means for raising sunken v sseis, con sisting of a container supplied with a tluent: mass eomposed of cork in blocks and tluid paratlin, and means to force said mass into a sunken vessel wherein it spreads out and adheres to the surfaces of the interior of such vessel.

18. A11 improved means for raising sunken vessels, comprising a pipe leading from a surface vessel to a sunken vessel. a hopper adapted to hold a solid buoyant material. a tank containing a liquid buoyant, communicating' with the hopper. and a pump for forcing the contents of the hopper through the pipe into the sunken v cl.

1!). An improved means for rainng sunken vessels. t't)lliprising a pipe leading from a, surface vessel to the sunken vessel, a hopper adapted to hold a buoyant material. a tank containinga liquid buoyant material and connuunieating with the hopper, and having a steam coil for kcco ing the said material in a. liquid state, a water supply pipe connected with the hopper, and a pump for torcing the contents of the hopper through the pipe into the sankcn ll. A

It). An improved means for raising sunken vessels, coup pris a double pipe lcadinc, front a surtaro vessel to the sunken vessel. :1 pump connected to one oi the pipes, a hopper connected to the pump, a. suction pipe connected at one end to the hopper and having its opposite end coin nected to a water supply. a tank containing a liquid buoyant mateiial and conununicating with the hopper. and an air pump connected to the said double pipe, sub stantially as spccitied.

21. An improved means for raising sunken vessels. com prising in combination a double pipev leading from a sun t'ace veo .l to a sunken ve uol, a hopper, a tank connectcd to the hopper and having heating coils therein, a valved pipe adapted to introduce water into the hopper, a force pump connected to the hopper for forcing the material therein through the double pipe, and an air conipressing pump for supplying air to the vcssol through the annular pas ge ot' the said double pipe.

in testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 867,983, granted October 15, 1907, upon the application of Simon Lake, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, for an improvement in Means and Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 74, page 2, the reference letter 0 should be 0; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of October, A. D., 1907.

[SEAL] E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner of Patents. 

